2015 Year Book - St Maroun`s College

Celebrating College Life
Year Book 2015
St Maroun’s College
BE ALL THAT YOU CAN BE
CRICOS 03333K
PRINCIPAL’S ADDRESS
The aim of Saint Maroun’s College is to develop the lives of our students through the values of faith,
friendship and honesty. With the partnership of the staff and parents of our College, we believe that we can
achieve these values.
As we look towards the future, we constantly strive to provide the very best learning environment and
opportunities for our students. This year has seen an improvement in the aesthetics of the College with new
learning environments and an upgrade of our IT facilities, with foundations in place to incorporate the
digital age to our education practices. We reintroduced camps in the Senior School to enable our students
to build on their faith and friendship. We also supported our dedication to the development of our students
into gentlemen and ladies through the introduction of social etiquette instruction for our senior students.
The initiatives of Public Speaking and Drama from 2014 have been carried through to 2015 having shown
their positive impact on developing confidence in our students. Our continuing support of social justice in
our community this year highlighted the generosity of our students - none more so than through their
support of the Leukemia Foundation, which was a day that moved many members of our student and staff
body to tears.
This publication reflects on the memorable events throughout 2015 that we have been privileged to share
and enjoy together as a College community. It is a testimony to our staff who support the College in the aim
to encourage students to be all that they can be.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank Helen MacDonald who has been invaluable to Saint Maroun’s
College in her role of Assistant Principal. As she departs the College at the end of this year, she leaves with
our love and sincere gratitude and we wish her all the best in the future. We also say goodbye to Mr
Michael Dixon, our K-12 Pasoral Care Co-ordinator, who has been with the College for 14 years. His
concern for and guidance of our students will be greatly missed. We wish him well in whatever
opportunities the future might bring.
As we approach the end of the year, I am grateful - grateful to God who tells us in 1 Corinthians 4:7b ‘What
do you have that God hasn’t given you? And if everything you have is from God, why boast as though it
were not a gift?’ I am grateful that God has given us so much here at St Maroun’s, not just materially but also
in terms of the talents and wealth of resources within our College community. God Himself has given us
every good thing to enjoy and it would be arrogant of us not to stop and reflect, to thank Him for His
abundance in our families and in our College!
To all families of Saint Maroun’s College, I wish you a safe and happy time over the Christmas holiday and
thank you all for your continued support of our College.
Sr Josephine Wehbe
FROM THE EDITOR
This year has provided many opportunities to see the potential of our students. Young men and women pass
through the gates of our College each day building the foundations for their future.
This year we, as educators, saw the students show leadership when they put their hand up to get involved in the
College. We saw their compassion when they stood behind an important cause.
We saw their insightfulness when they introduced new concepts to support the College and their peers.
As we conclude another year in the life of Saint Maroun’s College, we reflect on all the accomplishments of our
students. From academia, creativity, sport, excursions and everything in between.
Thank you to Sr. Josephine and Mrs Helen MacDonald who always strive to provide the best education for our
students. We appreciate the opportunities you have provided to make this year memorable. Thank you to all
students of Saint Maroun’s College. You should be proud of your involvement in the life of the school and I
sincerely appreciate those of you who have contributed to these pages. Thank you also to staff members who
assisted with this book, particularly Mr Mark Lunnon for his collection of photos and cover design, primary
and secondary staff who put together accounts of their activities and Mrs Margie Tubbs who proofread the Year
Book. We hope you enjoy this 2nd edition of the Saint Maroun’s College Year Book.
Mrs Cathy Yarad
2015 College Staff
Back Row: Nicholas Zupan, Cathy Yarad, Jessica Broudou, Tony Sassine, Michael Mills, Anil Thomas, Peta Bird,
Charo Akoury
Third Row: Elena Fazzari, Deanne Davar, Rodrigo Cortez, Kathy Raheb, Roma Gakas, Maja Bejnarowicz,
Enaam Darido, Nicole Alphonse, Julia Papadatos
Second Row: Nicola Healy, Cindy Pontes, Christina Vallelis, Giselle Badr, Tania Abi-Arraj, Katherine Mavromatis,
Quang Le, Rebecca Cusack, Margie Tubbs, Emma Savino, Yvonne Parastatidis
Front Row: Elizabeth McKay, Susan Kadib, Karen Rezzi, Michael Dixon, Helen MacDonald, Sr Josephine Wehbe,
Alana Scadden, Roula Fanos, Dimitra Sevastelis, Mark Lunnon, Andrea Perestrelo
Absent: Camil Chammas, Doreen El-Asmar, Sadie ElKassis, Tony Gebrael, Helena George, Gina Harb,
Marie Ibrahim, Jacqueline Kairouz, Diana Kareh, Mary Mobayed, Cheryl Naddaf, Jocelyn Wehbe
2014 GRADUATING CLASS ACHIEVEMENTS
In order to move forward, we should learn from our past.
At the beginning of 2015, we acknowledged the outstanding accomplishments of the 2014 Year 12
cohort. This group of individuals set a standard of academia and sport for the students who will
follow in their footsteps.
Our College congratulated John Do, who was a top achiever and HSC all-rounder. Yvonne Owen
achieved an equal first in the State for General Mathematics. 24 Band 6 Results were achieved in the
subject areas of Food Technology, Information Processing & Technology, Studies of Religion,
Business Studies, Mathematics, Mathematics General, Mathematics Extension, PDHPE and Biology.
The 2015 Year 12 cohort placed Saint Maroun’s College in the 110th position for HSC results in NSW.
Sr. Josephine Wehbe, Yvonne Owen and Fr. Maroun
Emile Koorey received the
2014 College Sporting
Blues award.
Left to right: Fr. Maroun, Joseph Antoun, Emile Koorey, Vincent Vicencio, Farah Masri, Rebecca
Taouk, Yvonne Owen and Sr. Josephine Wehbe.
PRIMARY REPORT
Saint Maroun’s offers a dynamic and caring life to its students promoting positive self-esteem within a committed
environment. We offer a comprehensive curriculum to cater for a range of academic and sporting needs, allowing
students to achieve the very best of their ability. This year saw the consolidation of the new Australian
Curriculum in English, Mathematics and Science and Technology. Our teachers took the opportunity to design and
develop strategies and tasks so that the new curriculum being delivered is relevant, engaging, rigorous and
challenging. In addition, the primary teachers have been in-serviced on the new 2016 mandatory History syllabus,
which we are all looking forward to implementing with our students. We aim to develop inquiring minds and teach
basic learning skills needed for schooling and later life.
Complementing the new curriculum, we have seen students have greater access to technology through our
computer lab and iPads in the classroom. This will be further developed in 2016 with the implementation of
BYODD for Year 4 students in the primary school. For the first time, all our students from K-6 have an individual
log in for the College computer network and emails, to undertake educational activities.
I would also like to recognise a number of primary students who have achieved outstanding results this year in the
University of New South Wales Competitions:
Spelling :- High Distinction awarded to Justin Vu. Distinction awarded to Natalie Chidiac, Damien Vu, Maria Rezzi
and Melvin Chung. Credit awarded to Phi Pham, Alexandra Kayrouz, Angela Sassine, Maddison Filipaina,
Christopher Rezzi, Isabella Elkazzi, Carla Mikael, Jayda Kazzi and Lukas Eabharoid. Merit awarded to Mikayla
Kazzi, Svetlana Yamine, Joyce Tang, Christopher Filipaina and Louisa Balechion
Writing :- Distinction awarded to Chi Pham. Credit awarded to Maddison Filipaina and Sania Saeed
English :- Distinction awarded to Lukas Eabharoid, Maria Rezzi, Joyce Tang and Chi Pham. Credit awarded to Alicia
Lee, Dylann Aquett, Melvin Chung and Carla Mikhael. Merit awarded to Kenzi Truong, Christopher Rezzi and
Svetlana Yamine
Mathematics :- High Distinction awarded to Melvin Chung and Ethan Pham. Distinction awarded to Joyce Tang
and Chi Pham. Credit awarded to Dylan Aquett, Ling Yong Feng, Carla Mikhael, Maria Rezzi, Premyada
Sinchairojkul, Damian Vu, Christopher Rezzi, Justin Vu, Angela Sassine and Mikayla Kazzi. Merit awarded to Alicia
Lee, Kenzi Truong, Lara Badr and Svetlana Yamine
In addition to academic achievements, students were given numerous opportunities to take part in netball and
soccer gala days, as well as the athletics and swimming carnivals. Students selected from the two carnivals went on
to represent the College at a regional level. Alexandra Kayrouz won the girls 11 years high jump event, with a height
of 1.28m at the regionals. She then went on and competed against students from across the state at the NSW
Catholic Primary Schools Mackillop Championship, where she jumped 1.35m, coming 10th . This was a wonderful
accomplishment.
Congratulations to the following students who were elected by their peers to represent them in 2016 as the primary
SRC:
Primary Captain: Elyssa Antoun
Vice-Captain: Pierre Doueihi
Prefects: Maddison Fillipaina, Natasha Abrahim, Joyce El-Zoghby and Steven Yarad
I congratulate all students who have involved themselves in the many facets of school life and the teachers who
continue to provide the students with opportunities for their continued growth.
Mrs Roula Fanos, Primary Coordinator
COORDINATORS’ REPORTS
2015 has been a busy year of learning and growing for Years 7 and 8, Stage 4 at Saint Maroun’s College.
The Year 7 students settled in to the routines of Secondary school quickly: learning their way from their lockers
to their classrooms and then to the canteen without too much confusion. Meanwhile, Year 8 were busy maturing
and consolidating the positive start that they made to High School in 2014.
Stage 4 students made positive contributions to College life this year. They recently gave others the opportunity
to learn from their experiences, when they acted as mentors and buddies for the incoming students during the
College’s two days of Immersion for Year 7 2016. They competed in the SWISSA representative sport
competitions and the College public speaking event. They performed in the College drama presentation, and
acted as admirable ambassadors while on excursions outside the College walls.
Mr Michael Mills, Years 7 & 8 Year Coordinator
Year 9 are a conscientious and hard-working group of students who have matured greatly throughout 2015. They
are enthusiastic and enjoy school immensely. Year 9 attended our first Stage 5 Camp at The Great Aussie Bush
Camp at Kincumber this year. This included many exciting activities such as the two-person rope swing, canoeing
and the high ropes course. Students challenged their fears and further reinforced friendship bonds. It’s been a busy
year for Year 9 as they visited the Art Gallery of NSW, Australian Institute of Music and watched Romeo and Juliet
at the Sydney Opera House. I wish them all the best as they move into their final year of Junior High School.
Students of Year 10 have really focused this year as they strive to reach their full potential. They should be
commended for exhibiting a positive outlook and attitude in the classroom and the sports field. Year 10 are
currently preparing themselves for their move into Year 11 and 12. They have chosen their subjects for next year
and are slowly shaping their future prospects. Work Experience this year also provided them with a taste of the
workforce. Students returned to school with added motivation as they had first-hand experience of future
potential careers. I encourage Year 10s to continue with their hard work, as they transition into the final part of
their high school journey.
Mr Rodrigo Cortez, Year 9 & 10 Year Coordinator
2015 has been a very eventful year for the Senior cohort of the College. It seems that when a student puts on the
white Senior shirt, attitudes and focus change.
This year saw the Student Leaders initiate the after-school Primary Homework Club. This tutoring service led by
Theresa Doueihi and Senior students started with a small group of 10 students and has now grown to a group that
has a waiting list. The feedback from the Primary parents has been very enthusiastic, with constant gratitude about
how their child has now got into a routine of completing homework on their own.
Pastoral Care for the Senior cohort focused on Road Safety, Drink and Drug Use and Buying a Car. Thanks to the
Lebanese Association and Marrickville Council, the students heard firsthand from youth who had successfully
turned their lives around from excessive drug and alcohol use. Students were told of the services that were on
hand to assist these youth and the reasons why they had taken these choices. The Yellow Car activity was all about
how to buy a used car and all the factors as to why a P plate driver attracts so much police atention. Students loved
this session and walked away with some very interesting facts about youth on the road.
Academically, Year 12 students were very focused on their future pathways, with a record number of Scholarship
Applications completed and Career paths chosen very early in the year. These students completed their HSC
exams in an exemplary manner and now we are all waiting for the results in late December.
To the 2015 Year 12 students, I wish you all the very best for your future journey. To the 2016 Year 12 students, let
me guide you, settle you down and make sure you enjoy your last year at St Maroun’s College.
Mrs Roma Gakas, Years 11 & 12 Year Coordinator
NOMINATED REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STUDENT BODY
At the end of each year, the graduating class pass their leadership badges to the new school leaders. At the
end of 2014, the Year 12 College Leaders placed their badges on the school blazers of their successors.
Below: Saint Maroun’s College leaders for 2015.
Back Row: Theresa Doueihi, Ria Liem, Nathan Yazbeck, Louise Abihanna,
Cara Shivakumar
Front Row: Adrian Abouchrouche, Valorie Chidiac, Bashar Allam, Lara Badr,
Mikayla Kazzi
Above: Our college sport representatives for 2015.
From the Secondary: (left to right) Libbi Le, Banda
Farah, Ali Sayegh, Danielle Baqui, Manuel Azevedo
and Kelly Leung
From the Primary: (left to right) Cecilia Bolognesi,
Ameer Asalan, Alexandra Kayrouz, Christopher
Fares, Mya Clemente, Lorenzo Nunes-Silva
MOTHER’S DAY
My mother is a woman like no other. She gave me life, nutured me, taught me, dressed me, fought for me,
held me, shouted at me, kissed me, but most importantly, loved me unconditionally.
www.Facebook.com/Daveswordsofwisdom
On Mother’s Day we show how much we love our mothers and appreciate and admire their dedication to us.
Above: Winners of the Mother’s Day Raffle.
FATHER’S DAY
Daddy, no matter how big I get, I will always
reach out for you.
On Father’s Day we recognise everything
our Dad does for us. We let him know that
we love him and appreciate how much he
cares. Thank you for all you do to help us
grow into young men and women that will
make a difference in this world.
ANZAC DAY
AT THE GOING DOWN OF
THE SUN ...
I crouched in a shallow trench
on that hell of exposed beaches
... steeply rising foothills bare of
cover ... a landscape
pockmarked with war’s
inevitable litter ... piles of stores ...
equipment ... ammunition ... and
the weird contortions of death
sculptured in Australian flesh ...
I saw the going down of the sun
on that first ANZAC Day ... the
chaotic maelstrom of Australia’s
blooding.
I fought in the frozen mud of the
Somme ... in a blazing
destroyer exploding on the North
Sea ... I fought on the perimeter
at Tobruk ... crashed in the
flaming wreckage of a fighter in
New Guinea ... lived with the
damned in the place cursed with
the name Changi.
I was your mate ... the kid across
the street ... the med. student at
graduation ... the mechanic in the
corner garage ... the baker who
brought you bread ... the gardener
who cut your lawn ... the clerk
who sent your phone bill.
I was an Army private ... a Naval
commander ... an Air Force
bombardier. No man knows me
... no name marks my tomb, for I
am every Australian serviceman
... I am the Unknown Soldier.
I died for a cause I held just in the
service of my land ... that you and
yours may say in freedom ... I am
proud to be an Australian.
From the Mandurah Community
War Memorial
A VISIT FROM THE NEW MOTHER GENERAL SISTER MARIE ANTIONETTE SAADE
On Friday November 20, Saint Maroun’s College was privileged to receive a visit from the newly-elected Mother
General of the Maronite Sisters of the Holy Family and her Vicar. Sister Marie Antionette Saade attended a Mass
in the College Hall with the primary and secondary students and staff, as well as parents. She was then invited to
a morning tea, where she was able to meet and talk to members of the College. The day was a huge success and Sr
Marie Antoinette and Sr Marie Raymond had an enjoyable time discovering the richness of our wonderful College.
RECONCILIATION
Year 2 students received the Sacrament of Reconciliation for the first time on Friday 28th August. It was
a spiritual occasion celebrated by Monsignor Marcelino Youssef, who spoke to the students about being
peacemakers. It was a comforting experience to have the parents stand beside their child as they waited to
approach Monsignor.
FIRST HOLY COMMUNION
At the beginning of the mass, we all walked through the
doors with our partners, each carrying a different item.
I was holding a candle. This is a symbol of Jesus who is
the light of our world.
When it was time to receive Jesus for the first time, I felt
very excited and eager to eat the Holy Bread. It was a
very special occasion.
After Communion, Sister Josephine and Monsignor
Marcellino gave out the certificates and gifts to us. It
was a lovely day. Our teachers worked hard to help
prepare our hearts for Jesus and to know what to do
on the day. We all felt very blessed on our First Holy
Communion.
By Maria Rezzi (Year 3)
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
St Maroun's College prides itself on providing our students a Maronite Catholic Spiritual experience.
Throughout every student’s journey at our College, Religious Education provides a fundamental means of
developing and strengthening their connection with God. Throughout the year, our students have experienced a
diverse range of learning, covering a range of areas including the Sacraments, Saints, Ethical Issues and Spiritual
Identity. 2015 also saw our Stage 6 students attend a retreat at Berry Recreation Centre, providing a Spiritual
experience for all involved. Holy Communion, the Visit of our Mother General, Sr Marie-Antoinette and our
regular College Mass Celebrations continuously highlight the united, spiritual nature of our College in fulfilling
our Motto of Friendship, Faith and Honesty.
Mr Tony Sassine
Religious Education Coordinator
ENGLISH
Language shapes our understanding of ourselves and our world. It is the primary means by which we relate
to others and is central to the intellectual, social and emotional development of all students. Knowledge,
understanding, skills, values and attitudes acquired in English are central to the learning and development of
students. Developing proficiency in English enables students to take their place as confident communicators,
critical and imaginative thinkers, lifelong learners and informed, active participants in Australian society. It
supports the development and expression of a system of personal values, based on students' understanding of
moral and ethical matters, and gives expression to their hopes and ideals.
The study of English enables students to experiment with ideas and expression, to become active,
independent and lifelong learners, to work with each other and to reflect on their learning.
Rationale from the Board of Studies.
At Saint Maroun’s College, our students are encouraged to read and write. They have the opportunity to
participate in a public speaking event where they must articulate their thoughts through creativity and
emphasis. They study novels and incorporate drama to demonstrate their understanding of context. They
use their imagination to create poetry, short sories, alternate endings, newspaper reports and the list goes on.
English at Saint Maroun’s College is not limited to one subject area. It is present in essay writing for various
assessment tasks. It is present when speaking on assembly and when saying a prayer in Mass. It is present in
our correspondence with each other. We all use English. Our aim at the College is to ensure our students use
it well.
POETRY
Wordsworth defined poetry as "the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings;" Emily Dickinson said, "If I read a
book and it makes my body so cold no fire ever can warm me, I know that is poetry;" and Dylan Thomas defined
poetry this way: "Poetry is what makes me laugh or cry or yawn, what makes my toenails twinkle, what makes me
want to do this or that or nothing."
Below are some of our student works of poetry.
UMBRELLA
Rain
Life Itself
I wake up and it’s raining,
it’s cold
but I’m used to it.
The young girl always holds me,
and runs outside.
She’s crazy.
She could get sick.
But she doesn’t care,
she just wants to jump in the
puddles.
She’s like a machine
that never stops running.
That’s why I’m there to comfort her,
to be her Umbrella.
Falling like rocks,
like the sky is angry,
sound outrageously heavy,
I cuddled up in my bed,
even covering my head.
Not a single soul,
could see this whole scene without
being terrified,
I think I need to hide.
BOOM! CRASH!
The rain is like it wants to bash.
I woke up the next morning,
the rain is still pouring
The droplets slash the ground,
it is not a pleasant sound.
Umbrellas will be useless,
because the rain will sweep it away.
It’s going to be a very wet day,
but hey!
It’s 30 degrees on Saturday.
Life is hard and beautiful,
It’s perfect and so wonderful.
But in life cheats and war are fine,
And being bad is a perfect sign.
To leave a love and let them cry,
To leave a heart so frail to die.
But loneliness is not all bad,
To start anew, for that I’m glad.
So life may have some ups and
downs,
Why don’t you turn to look
and see what’s found?
What’s a story without the journey?
Oh life is just so topsy-turvy!
By: Stephanie Yarad of 7B
By: Adam Mourad of 7R
By: Joyce Tang of 4Y
YEAR 9 ENGLISH
Lord of the Rings – Alternate Ending
“We did it Sam!” exclaimed Frodo in such great
excitement, “We have escaped the terror of
Shelob’s lair!”
“Yes Mr Frodo! That monstrous Giant Spider won’t be
bothering us again,” replied Samwise.
“But that wretched creature, where has Gollum gone?”
Frodo had a distressed look on his worn face.
“He has betrayed us but he cannot linger here for any
longe-“ Something interrupted him. “Sam, did you hear
that?”
He gave a troubled look to Sam “What is it Mr Frodo?”
“Gollum.”
"There it is again! Gollum is here Sam, be careful."
“Fools! Stupid little hobbitsees, we told you that you
cannot stop him!”
“You deceitful lying little maggot!” The expression on
Sam's face quickly turned into anger.
Gollum crept out of the shadows of the grey rocks, into
the gloomy stone debris.
“We warned you, yes yes we did precious. But now the
Black Hand has come forth!”
Then suddenly, a great sweeping bright light emerged
from thin air, bringing dark faces on both Frodo and
Sam. Voices were being heard and forces from the flame
were seen. Until suddenly, Frodo spotted a figure
appearing in the sky.
“It’s- It’s a Great Eagle!” cried out Frodo with joy. The
brown feathered eagle landed on the ground, while a
man clad in white, with a long light-coloured beard and
a white staff dismounted the beast.
“Gandalf? It cannot be!” exclaimed Frodo and Sam with
joy.
“I thought I told you to fly you fool!” he said with a
smile. “No time to explain Hobbits! The Dark Lord is
here and he must be stopped!” declared Gandalf.
“Old fool,” hissed the Voice of Sauron, “You have
abandoned the defences of Minas Tirith! Gondor will
fall,” his voice sounded with great power.
"Be silent, worm of Morgoth!" demanded Gandalf with
might, “Surrender now and face the light!”
“Your threats do not sway me, wizard! I will return to
power sooner than you think.” It was in this moment
that Gandalf had heard a sword drop onto the ground.
He looked behind him and saw the bodies of Frodo and
Sam... dead. Gollum stood by their bodies with a smile
on his face.
Tears filled Gandalf ’s eyes and his face wrecked with
grief. Sorrow had filled the air as his heart darkened. He
turned to look at Sauron but he was gone. He could no
longer see him.
Suddenly the Voice of Sauron was once again heard “Ash
nazg durbatul Ak, ash nazg gimbatul, ash nazg thrakatul
ugh burzum ishi krimpatul.”
Sauron appeared next the body of Frodo Baggins and on
his finger was The One Ring. The Dark Lord took an
unspeakable form of a powerful being. Immediately,
Gandalf lit up his staff and used his powers to attack
Sauron but The Lord of the Barad-dur had already
regained his power and was unstoppable. He used his
magic to create a force that thrusted the old wizard onto
his knees.
“Sauron. The Lord of the Rings. I- I have failed...”
Gandalf had been beaten and his quest
has failed.
“Die now, Mithrandir!” Sauron had forged a sword and
plunged it into the heart of Gandalf.
Now Sauron had destroyed the last hope for
Middle-Earth and was ready to plunge the world into
darkness.
No hope will come from the Valar and the world will
fall.
The End
Above: Students were asked
to rewrite the ending to a
novel. Lord of the Rings
alternate ending was written
by Jason Trad.
Left: Students were asked to
design Propoganda posters.
From left to right:
Frascella Heriyanto,
Alan Najjar and
Julia Pepping
PUBLIC SPEAKING
The Public Speaking and Debate Evening on
Wednesday 2nd August was a fantastic opportunity
for students of St Maroun’s to showcase their oratory
talents and presentation skills. We saw an excellent
number of students participating across Years 3 to
12 and it was extremely encouraging to see parents,
relatives and friends attend the evening in support
of our participants.
The evening began with stage groups presenting in
their allocated rooms, followed by light
refreshments, a showcase debate on the topic
‘Should selfies be banned?’ and presentation of
awards to all participants. Although many students
were understandably nervous, they all showed
courage when standing up to speak in front of
a very proud audience and all students must be
commended on their successful participation in this
event. Thank you to all staff members of our College
who attended the night and assisted in numerous
ways, in order to make the night an enjoyable one
for all.
Miss Susan Kadib
PALM CARD PREPARATION FOR PUBLIC SPEAKING
Hey everyone.
How’s everyone’s night?
I’m Bethany Jones. Presenting… how social media creates an unrealistic reality.
How do you define social media? Social media is a place where you can share, connect and observe other people
from the other side of the world to just down the street.
Social media is also an addiction, an uncontrollable chain of looking at posts and browsing the internet.
Social media does have some benefits. As I said before, you can connect with people who are half-way around the
world. For instance, you can talk to your grandmother or babooshka in Russia that you haven’t seen in years. You
can also meet new people who are in your country or overseas, and learn about different cultures. In addition, you
can share things that you find interesting with your friends or the rest of the world.
But… like most things, there is a limit. A French artist “JR” said, “the more social media there is, the more we
think we’re connecting, yet we’re really disconnecting from each other”. We may be connecting with people
thousands of kilometres over the sea, but we’re forgetting to connect with the people that are about 2 metres in
front of us, and the sad part is that we don’t even realise it.
How social media creates an unrealistic reality. Research says that your “real self ” is defined on your qualities,
nature and features. Your “ideal self ” is what you think you should be like and having an “ideal self ” is unrealistic,
because you’re creating at fictitious character. Also “ideal” varies for different people so you are basically creating a
subjective opinion of how you should be and sometimes that conflicts with other people’s idea of “ideal”.
Through social media your “real self ” and “ideal self ” clash. Therefore our “online selves” reflect our “ideal selves”.
Social media creates a false sense of self and self-esteem. When we see a picture of a celebrity and wish we looked
like them, walked like them and even talked like them, we are aspiring to be like an idealised character, not the
actual celebrity.
That sums up my point on how social media creates an unrealistic reality.
Peaceout
THROUGH THEIR EYES
-Perspectives On Youth Issues-
By Bethany Okoronkwo-Jones Year 8.
CREATING MAGAZINES
Year 8 students were asked to create a magazine with the
following criteria.
Research the Area of Study: Children in Danger . You may
focus on a Country such as Syria, Afghanistan, Africa, North
Korea etc. and how children are affected in that country. It
should be about an issue in that country such as the effects
of war on children’s lives, child slavery or possibly the
problem of Child Brides . There may be religious
persecution or racial discrimination in that country. It could
be on bullying, homelessness in Australia or Domestic
Violence. Your issue may be on famine in Africa, or child
exploitation such as in the chocolate industry in Ghana.
The image to the right is from Betty Sevastelis whose article
focused on the welfare issue of child brides.
Issue #473
$4.95
Child Brides
Background on
child Marriage
‘Girls not Brides’
information advert
Pages 1-2
Page 3
Case Studies– Sonita– The
Western Brides Overcoming adBrides Exposed saddened songversity
bird: Bridal Rap
Page 4
Page 5
Page 6
Page 7
SOCIAL ETIQUETTE PROGRAM
There are many aspects of past societies that have changed as the times have changed but common courtesy
and appropriate social behaviour should never be among them. We must never lose the social skills that enable
us to behave respectably on any occasion. On Thursday June 11th, Year 10, 11 and 12 students participated in a
full-day incursion, learning about their personality, appreciation for their own and their peers’ talents,
appropriate dress sense, personal appearance, table etiquette, conversational skills and appropriate behaviour
on a date. Girls also learnt hair and make-up skills and posture, while boys learnt ways to tie a tie.
This event concluded with a formal dinner in the evening, to put the skills students had learned from the
incursion into practice.
ETIQUETTE DAY AND FORMAL DINNER
Thanks to Mrs. Yarad, the day and night were nothing but successful. Everybody that participated had a great
time and recommended it for the future. It was a fun day that created a strong cohesion with the three
participating age groups and teachers.
The day session comprised of tackling gender issues and etiquette teachings. This had been effective as of
the high involvement in discussions and activities. It was carried out by means of dividing year 10s, 11s and
12s in gender groups. The boys were in a separate classroom to the girls, learning about gender issues, body
image and manners. Everybody received packages containing items that would come in handy during the day
and a few gifts such as ties for the boys. Mrs. Yarad introduced the day session to the girl’s group, allowing
everybody to use all the worksheets provided, teaching manners and also made sure that everybody was
having a great time. One of the worksheets in particular stood out. Everybody had to choose a name from
their year group and write as many positive things they could about the person anonymously. The exchange
at the end of the school day brought the year group closer as it was beautiful to read a few words that made
everybody feel appreciated and more settled with themselves, binding the grade together.
Mrs. Sevastelis took over the girl’s group, tacking the issues of body image. The girls had been given a
survey to fill out prior to the workshop. This consisted of rating body types of males. This was then analysed
and discussed amongst the room by everybody. We also discussed the images of girls, ranging from body
types of anorexic to obese. The body image and body type discussion opened eyes to accepting your body.
Being comfortable with one’s skin is something I learned from this workshop. The type of body you have does
not have to be abused by trying to fit into clothes that are not right for you. We compared the beauty of
dressing certain ways to celebrities such as Taylor Swift who has a thin body frame and does not have
voluptuous curves like others. However, we discussed that she wears what is fit to her body type and she has
done so successfully. With the body image conversations, makeup and hair styling was also something that
was taught. There were three stations that were set up to create makeovers for three girls. Daniela Rodrigues
had done a stunning makeup look on Christine Habib, Raisa Mahmoud had a beautiful makeup job done
by Lilianne Mourad and Gabriella Colagrossi and Katrin Atme styled Hafsah Saeed’s hair. Everybody had
watched intently, intrigued by the talent and learned many things about beauty that will come in handy for
the night and the future. Another feature during the session was the posture game. Girls were given turns to
balance a heavy book on their head whilst walking in a straight line. To make things harder and more useful
for the night, we had to walk in a fast pace to and fro from one end of the room to another on our toes as if
we were wearing high heels. This was not just informative but it was also very enjoyable.
After the day session had ended, it was time for everybody to return to their homes and get ready for the
night. The plan was to dress formally and apply everything that was taught and discussed throughout the day.
It was an extremely new thing introduced to the school and it was honestly so much fun to spend a formal
night with the teachers and other students in the school. We were assessed on our manners throughout the
night. The best part of the whole workshop was ‘dressing up’ as said by Niloy Mahmoud. Seeing everybody
dressed up so formally and looking their best was a splendid experience. It was fun to see the teachers and
students conversing and everybody complimenting each other. The food was provided in a very professional
manner and the dessert was just amazing. Ms. Parastatidis was marking our table and I made sure that she
did not see me when I ate two tiramisu servings so as to not lose marks. Following the dessert, the
background music changed to a more upbeat and exciting dance music played by Charbel Chedrawi in Year
12 and Mr. Zupan. As stated by Marsha Liamin the dancing was the best part of the whole day. Even though
it was cut short, the night was still amazing.
The whole workshop and dance at the end of the day created a strong cohesion between the year groups that
participated. A great thanks to Mrs. Yarad and every other contribution to create that incredible day and
wonderful night. I recommend this to be done every year as not just because of teaching the acts of etiquette
and gender roles, but also, to allow every year to feel the strong bond in the school and experience a great
time.
By Houda Assi, Year 11
MATHEMATICS
Mathematics is a reasoning and creative activity
employing abstraction and generalisation to identify,
describe and apply patterns and relationships. The
symbolic nature of mathematics provides a powerful,
precise and concise means of communication.
Mathematical ideas have evolved across all cultures
over thousands of years and are constantly developing.
Digital technologies facilitate this expansion of ideas,
providing access to new tools for continuing
mathematical exploration and invention. Mathematics
is integral to scientific and technological advances in
many fields of endeavour. In addition to its practical
applications, the study of mathematics is a valuable
pursuit in its own right, providing opportunities for
originality, challenge and leisure.
Mathematics provides students with knowledge, skills
and understanding in Number and Algebra,
Measurement and Geometry, and Statistics and
Probability. It focuses on developing increasingly
sophisticated and refined mathematical understanding,
fluency, communication, logical reasoning, analytical
thought and problem-solving skills. These capabilities
enable students to respond to familiar and unfamiliar
situations by employing strategies to make informed
decisions and solve problems relevant to their further
education and everyday lives.
The ability to make informed decisions and to interpret
and apply mathematics in a variety of contexts is an
essential component of students' preparation for life in
the 21st century. To participate fully in society, students
need to develop the capacity to critically evaluate ideas
and arguments that involve mathematical concepts or
that are presented in mathematical form.
From the Board of Studies Rationale for Mathematics
MATHEMATICS INCURSION
In order to make numeracy fun and relevant, the World
Of Maths Roadshow visited the students from
Kindergarten to Year 8 in November. Their workshop
allowed stuents to see how maths is applied to some
real life situations through hands-on activities and
problem solving sessions.
Mrs Dimitra Sevastelis
YEAR 10 MATHEMATICS EXCURSION
Mega Maths Day at Sydney University.
On Wednesday the 10th of June, a group of Year
10 students and Mrs Badr travelled to Sydney
University in Camperdown to take part in a Mega
Maths Day. We participated in several fun-filled
workshops and hands-on activities all around the
university where we learned about the involvement
of maths in pretty much every area of our lives. The
activities were entertaining and inspiring for us to
decide on future career opportunities and subject
selection for year eleven. We all thoroughly enjoyed
the day and would like to thank Mrs Badr and
Sydney University for the entertaining day!
By Livia Halteh
Personal Development, Health and Physical Education
PDHPE - Students have been studying many different
topics such as Nutrition, Drugs, Relationships,
Overcoming Adversity, Being a wise consumer,
Personal development and many more. Students have
also been participating in a number of sports
including Soccer, Hockey, Volleyball, Basketball,
European Handball, Soft-Crosse to name a few.
2015 has been the first year Community and
Family Studies has been offered to stage 6 students and
they are currently working on their projects.
Elective Physical Activity and Sports Studies, Sport
Lifestyle and Recreation and Personal Development,
Health and Physical Education students also
completed a First Aid certificate this year.
Sport - We have seen an increase in participation in
representative sport from students in many sports such
as Swimming, Athletics, Cross Country,
Basketball, Netball, Soccer, Oztag and Volleyball. Also
students participated in many Gala Days throughout
the year including Football, Touch Football, Futsal,
Oztag, Table Tennis, Cricket, Softball and Basketball.
The intermediate boys Basketball team won the
tournament and the Junior and senior girls won the
Table Tennis Gala Day.
Overall it has been a successful year for St. Maroun's
with Gerard Koorey winning Age Champion at the
Swissa Athletics Carnival held at the International
Sports park in Blacktown.
Mrs Cindy Pontes
NETBALL GALA DAY
The Year 5 and 6 students had the opportunity to
attend the Netball NSW Schools Cup competition
on the 17th of June. Our school entered one team in
the competitive and another in the non-competitive
competition with each team comprising of 10 students
made up of boys and girls. The students participated
with great enthusiasm and displayed great
sportsmanship while representing our college. It was a
fun and enjoyable experience for all. The students were
even lucky enough to meet some of the players from
the NSW Swift Netball team.
Mrs Julie Papadatos
GYMNASTICS
All Kindergarten to Year 6 students enjoyed the hands on, physical activities set by the Dance Fever Multi-Sport
Australia instructors. Students participated in a range of activities covering dominant movement patterns,
acrobatics, artistic skills, rhythmic and circus skills.
Miss Andrea Perestrelo
SOCCER GALA DAY
It was an early Tuesday morning in August when over
70 students from Years 3 to 6, six of our parent
volunteers and three teachers headed off to
Meadowbank Park, Meadowbank, for our annual
primary Inner West Soccer Gala Day. All who were
attending were very excited about what lay ahead. An
air of excitement filled the bus, as students looked
forward to taking part in a number of soccer games.
Once there, everyone did their best with the
encouragement of our coaching staff and parents.
Many heroes were born on this day, good
sportsmanship flourished and they all walked away
with a tale of their own to tell. Until next year.
Mrs Roula Fanos
FUN RUN
A day of exercise to encourage fitness and enable our school to access sporting resources.
PRIMARY SWIMMING CARNIVAL
A sunny day greeted the students for their carnival after the 7 day intensive swimming program. It was good to
see students from Years 2 – 6 using the skills they’ve learnt or built upon in the races. We have some very talented
swimmers in Primary. Students had an enjoyable time participating in both in and out of water activities.
PRIMARY ATHLETICS CARNIVAL
A day of fun and racing. The sports houses were competetive and colourful this year.
SECONDARY SWIMMING CARNIVAL
SECONDARY ATHLETICS CARNIVAL
It’s all about the team spirit and having a go ... and it doesn’t hurt to look good and have fun while we’re at it!
YEAR 1 WARRAGAMBA DAM
In Term 2, my class went to Warragamba Dam because we were learning about water. We learnt lots of
information about how water gets from the clouds to our tap. We saw a pipe and a dam. We went into a
museum and saw a model of a dam. We learnt about the environment and did lots of activities with our guide.
By Sophie Azzi in 1Y
YEAR 1 TRAINWORKS
On Friday 11th September, Year 1 went on an excursion to Trainworks to learn all about trains. Some of our
favourites were the train that the Queen used on her visit to Australia, the longest steam train in Australia and
the prisoner train. We even got to see Thomas the Tank engine!
Miss Elena Fazzari
YEAR 4 BOTANIC GARDENS
On the 24th of July 2015, Year 4 and their teachers
went on a trip to the Botanic Gardens because we were
learning about plants.
In the morning when the bus arrived, everyone
climbed aboard. To make the bus trip fun, Miss Maja
made up fun quizzes on the microphone. Then we
arrived and had our recess.
After that, we placed our bags and belongings in the
lockers. We met our tour guides and they explained
rules to follow at the Botanic Gardens. Then we got
divided into two groups and the tour guides taught us
some new things about plants and showed us lots of
fresh seeds and flowers.
Later on, we went on a walk around the beautiful
gardens and saw various types of unusual plants and
trees. We saw banana trees with delicious green
bananas growing on them. We planted some pea seeds
in the garden’s veggie patch and experienced what it
was like to see through a bee’s eyes. Everything was
BLUE! Following that, we walked to a lawn that had a
spectacular and stunning view of the Harbour Bridge,
Opera House and the magnificent Sydney Harbour.
Around 12:45, we had lunch and rode the Choo-Choo
Express, which was thrilling as it took us all around the
gardens.
Sadly, our excursion came to an end. We arrived at
school tired, but happy. I thought that this trip was the
trip of my life.
By: Natalie Chidiac 4Y
YEAR 2 AQUARIUM
Our excursion was on Tuesday. It was so cool in the aquarium. In the tanks we saw a butterfly fish, a saw shark
and tiny seahorses. We read some guessing game facts and even got to colour in sea creatures for an interactive
scene. I decorated a jellyfish. My excursion was awesome. You should have come with us! By Boushra Khadarou
When we went on our aquarium excursion, we went in a glass tunnel and saw stingrays, sharks, eels, pipe fish,
coral, seaweed and other sea creatures. At the Discovery pool we got to touch a starfish, sea cucumber and a
shark egg. By Michael Fares
YEAR 4 BLUE MOUNTAINS
It was a very early start to the day for us, as we had to
arrive at school by 6.30am. Before the bus came we said
a prayer with Sister Josephine, and then the teachers
made sure everyone had arrived so that we could begin
our excursion. Before we knew it, we were on the bus
and on our way to the Blue Mountains.
It took us about two hours to get there, but we stayed
busy playing games on our devices and watching the
scenery change before our eyes as we drove out of
Sydney.
On our way to our first destination ‘The Blue Mountains
Heritage Centre’, we stopped to have a little morning
tea break and stretch our legs. After getting back on the
bus and a short twenty minute drive we arrived and
everybody was really excited. At the cultural centre we
met two Aboriginal Rangers who taught us all about the
Aboriginal culture, and how people lived in the Sydney
region before the first settlers arrived.
The rangers also taught us about how the aboriginals
kept warm using possum fur and how they hunted for
food. They told dreaming stories, showed us
amazing aboriginal tools, and also how to make paint
using ground up ochre. It was really interesting and a
fantastic experience!
Next, we went on a bushwalk and it was really hot. We
got to learn how the aboriginals used to survive using
the plants and wildlife to keep them healthy and well
fed. We ended the bushwalk at a special lookout with a
beautiful view of the Blue Mountains and a really long
waterfall.
At midday, we went to Scenic World where we had
lunch. Then we met our tour guide Dave who was really
funny and we went inside Scenic World.
Dave took us on the Scenic Railway ride which is the
steepest one in the world. It was a small train that travels
down a really steep slope. After we climbed in and were
safely buckled in, the train started moving forward and
everyone began screaming, because we went into a dark
tunnel and it was really scary. People were even slipping
in their seats because it was so steep! After that exciting
ride we went for a boardwalk in the rainforest gully and
saw lots of coal mines, and learnt that it was really cold
underground. We saw lots of mining tools that were
used for digging in the coal mines, and we even got to
touch real coal which was as dark as night, and very
smooth. We also saw five Lyre Birds and they were really
beautiful.
Later, to come back to Scenic World, we took a cable
car up out of the rainforest and saw a beautiful view of
The Three Sisters and all the bush land surrounding the
mountains.
In the afternoon, we went to Echo Point where we saw
a beautiful view of The Three Sisters really close up. Ms.
Maja said that the little mound next to the third sister
was Steven the little brother, but I think that she was
trying to trick us as a joke. After that we got back on
the bus and headed back to Sydney. We were very tired,
but still really excited from all the things we got to see
throughout the day. We all enjoyed the day very much
as it was a fantastic excursion.
By Isabella Elkazzi - 4 Yellow
YEAR 5 BATHURST
On the 19th of June, Year 5 went on an amazing excursion to
Bathurst since we were learning about ‘Gold’. We woke up
extremely early at 6:00 am and got to school by 6:30. We
waited until everyone got to school and then we finally got on the
bus and set off to the Blue Mountains .On the bus we watched a
movie called ‘Mrs Doubtfire’; it was hilarious! In about 2 hours
we arrived at the Blue Mountains. We had a little walk, took some
photos and had our recess for about 15 mins, and then set back
on the bus and finished the movie ‘Mrs Doubtfire’. On the way we
saw sheep, cows and goats.
Finally we got to the ‘Bathurst Gold Fields’, ate our
lunch and went to the toilets . We walked down to the
fields and had 2 tour guides, Peter and Chris.We saw
their house, their special tree and experienced what
life was like in the 1850s. We played games, made mud
bricks, were challenged by putting a tent up and made
and ate damper. It tasted charming. Then finally we got
to go gold panning!
Peter showed us what to do, it was indeed fun. Some
people were lucky to find gold and others were
unlucky, finding nothing. We didn’t realise how hard
and tiring it was to pan for gold! After that we went to
visit the museum and there were a lot of fascinating
things there. After a few minutes we went to the
souvenir shop and we bought amazing things. I bought
a square globe with real gold water inside and toy
miners in it. When we got back on the bus we watched
the movie ‘Big Hero 6’. It started to get dark; I sat next
to my best friend Elyssa Antoun. She brought a blanket,
i-pad and a pillow. We slept on the bus and watched a
movie. After HOURS,HOURS AND HOURS we
arrived at McDonalds and ate, drank and were happy.
It was an extremely fun learning experience visiting
Bathurst. I was really happy and I think it was the best
excursion so far.
By Joyce El Zoghby 5Y
CREATIVE ARTS : MUSIC
All students should have the opportunity to develop
their musical abilities and potential. As an artform,
music pervades society and occupies a significant
place in world cultures and in the oral and recorded
history of all civilisations. It uses a unique symbol
system that uses sound to imply meaning and convey
information, and has the capacity to cross cultural
and societal boundaries. Music plays important roles
in the social, cultural, aesthetic and spiritual lives of
people. At an individual level, music is a medium of
personal expression. It enables the sharing of ideas,
feelings and experiences.
Board of Studies Music Rationale
In Music classes at Saint Maroun’s College, the aim
is to learn to play different instruments. Year 7 play
tuned and untuned percussion. Year 8 progress to
guitar and keyboard and Year 9 elective are able to
use an instrument of their choice.
In Music this year, Year 7 have studied the topics of
Instruments, Reading Music and Composers. They
have also composed their own melodies. Year 7
enjoyed an excursion to The Sydney Opera House
where we all learnt a great deal about music and
architecture and admired the beautiful view.
MUSIC INCURSION
Year 8 spent the first semester learning the guitar and
the second semester learning keyboard where they
also composed and played their own melodies.
Years 8 and Elective 9 went to AIM School of
Music to see a live performance of music titled At the
Apollo which featured the music of African American
musicians. The Apollo was a theatre in Harlem where
all major stars including The Supremes and Michael
Jackson have played.
Years 7 to 9 were lucky to see a Chamber Music
Recital in our beautiful Chapel led by the acclaimed
music educator Richard Gill. It was wonderful to hear
the different sounds of the instruments and to see the
musicians up close.
Year 9 Elective went to Australia Hall, which is a
heritage building in the city, to see the opera Hansel
and Gretel by the composer Humperdinck.
This opera is based on the fairy tale Hansel and Gretel
but with a twist which deals with issues relating to the
fall of the Berlin Wall.
The opera was in German and we followed the
translation on the screen.
Mrs Diana Kareh
CREATIVE ARTS : VISUAL ARTS
Visual Arts students develop art making skills, learn
how to write and speak about art objects within the
study of art criticism, to develop an understanding
of why certain cultural objects are considered
important within the practice of art history.
The Visual Arts department in 2015 has developed a
well-resourced room with twenty computers in the
classroom running the ADOBE suite for students to
practice the skills needed for the twenty-first
century. In collaboration with the TAS department,
we established a dedicated multimedia classroom
for video and still photography production. The
room can be completely blacked out for dark
photography and has two dedicated green screens
with sophisticated lighting systems.
The Year 12 Visual Arts class had a successful
exhibition showcasing their Body of Work for their
HSC course. A whole school art and design
exhibition was held in December, showcasing
selected works from Years K – 12. The exhibition
gave the opportunity for the whole community to
see the talented work by students from the whole
college.
Years 7, 9, 10 and 12 Visual Arts students all went
on excursions in 2015 to various exhibitions,
visiting places such as the Art Gallery of NSW and
the Museum of Contemporary Art. Attending these
venues gives students the opportunity to engage first
hand with art and helps them to develop an
understanding of the nature of contemporary art
practice.
Mr Mark Lunnon
Left: Mary Harb, Year 8,
Acrylic on canvas. Two
boats
Right: Madeline Albassit,
Year 9, Aerosol paint
Portrait
Livia Halteh, Year 10 Photomedia Twitching City
Yara Fares Year 10 Photomedia Museum Station
YEAR 7 CREATIVE ARTS EXCURSION
On the 1st of April, Year 7 had the opportunity to visit the Opera House and the Museum of Contemporary Art.
Students were given a tour of the Opera House, learning about each of the chambers and architectural history of
the site.
YEAR 9 CREATIVE ARTS EXCURSION
YEAR 10 CREATIVE ARTS EXCURSION
At the MCA, students were exposed to a range of
Contemporary Australian artworks from the
galleries collection. This gave them firsthand
insight into the various expressive forms artists
use today and a good understanding of the
nature of contemporary art within their culture.
COLLEGE ART EXHIBITION
The students were given an opportunity to display their creativity to the school community through an exhibition.
It was wonderful to see the talent of our students on display as well as the many students, parents and teachers who
came to support the exhibition.
YEAR 12 ART EXHIBITION
The HSC body of works were on display before they were sent off for marking by the Board of Studies.
BUDDY PROGRAM
The Buddy Program involved Year 5 students being
paired with a Kindergarten student. Their role was
to be a friend and look after them in their first year
of schooling. The students have completed activities
such as reading, arts and crafts, computer work and
eating lunch together. This enjoyable experience
provided children with stimulating opportunities for
learning and skill development.
Our Buddy program provided dual benefits such as:
- Older children learning leadership and mentoring
skills, with an opportunity to nurture their younger
buddy.
- Participation in the buddy program enhanced the
children’s cooperative learning behaviours such as
taking turns, listening, sharing knowledge, praising
another’s effort, helping one another, and
completing a task.
- Kindergarten children bonded with their older
buddy and friendships flourished as the year
progressed.
- Kindergarten children especially enjoyed the
one-to-one attention they received from their older
buddy.
The students enjoyed their time together and
developed a close bond with their buddies.
Mrs Julie Papadatos
FUNKY HAIR DAY
Miss Cheryl from our Primary Staff set out to raise
funds for the Leukemia Foundation in March this
year. Little did she know that her efforts would strike
a chord in our students and ignite an emotional
response that raised over $1735 for the Foundation.
It all started small. The charity was added to the
calendar and students were asked to donate a $2
coin to wear mufti and colour their hair on Tuesday
March 17th. The Primary staff then began to explain
the reason for the Leukemia Foundation to their
classes. This prompted Steven Yarad of Year 5 to ask
for permission to shave his head in memory of his
cousin, who died at 6 years of age from a rare cancer.
Word got out and Lilianne Mourad from Year 11
joined Steven by nominating herself for a shave.
Lilianne went further by seeking support from her
Tae-Kwon-Do instructor, Mr Tartak.
His efforts raised a further $3000 for the foundation.
The students and teachers gathered in the Hall at
11 am and watched Steven have his hair shaved to
0, followed by Lilianne who had her hair shaved
to 3. Unexpectantly, Mrs Cindy Pontes from the
secondary staff sat in the chair next to have her hair
shaved. Then, as a final show of support, Sr
Josephine Wehbe sat in the chair and the school
watched on as her hair was shaved.
Many members of our College know someone
who has passed away from cancer or someone who
has fought or is still fighting the illness today. It
was an emotional gathering and an outstanding
demonstration of the compassion and support our
students have for others.
OUR P&F
It takes a special type of person to give without any agenda of their own. The Parents and Friends of Saint
Maroun’s College are a generous and supportive group of individuals. Their tireless organisation of events
to benefit the College has provided our students with BBQs, dances, a Book Fair and icecreams on a hot
day to name but a few. With a smile and a helping hand, they make our lives so much better.
We appreciate and thank you for all the work that you do.
HUMAN SOCIETY and ITS ENVIRONMENT (HSIE)
Human Society and Its Environment focuses on enhancing student’s knowledge, understanding, skills, and
appreciation for the attitudes and values about people and the social and physical environments in which
they live. Incorpoated withing this stream are the topics of History and Geography.
Earlier this year, the Year 9 students created a scale model of Port Stephens during their study of natural
disasters. The aim was to test the projected outlook of sea level rise along the Eastern coastline of Australia.
Using topographic maps, the students constructed the model using clay and plaster. Once built, the model
was painted to reflect the town of Shoal Bay.
TREE PLANTING DAY
In Term Two, Year Four students at Saint Maroun’s
College had been learning all about ‘Plants in
Action’. As part of this Science topic, they discovered
parts of plants and plant needs in hands-on
interactive lessons designed to engage young
learners. To observe the life cycle, students planted
their own bean seeds and watched them germinate,
grow, pollinate, fertilise and reproduce. They also
learnt about flowering or non-flowering plants and
explored the structures of seeds and how this leads
them to be dispersed.
In their final stage of learning, Year Four were
invited by Marrickville Council to participate in
‘National Tree Day’, by planting trees around the
college. The College was asked to choose from a
selection of Australian flora and decided on
Melaleuca linariifolia, more commonly known as
Snow in Summer. This tree is an Australian native
evergreen tree, which produces masses of creamy
white, brush-like flowers, which almost completely
cover the tree during summer months. Fortunately,
the tree planting session coincided with Enviroweek
2015, so the students enjoyed getting their hands
dirty while helping the environment.
Miss Maja Bejnarowicz and Miss Rebecca Cusack,
HSIE : HISTORY
This year, as part of their study of Medieval Europe,
the Year 8 History class were required to construct
their own Medieval castle for an assessment task. The
task itself was challenging, requiring students to have
an understanding of the main features of Medieval
castles and to consider their primary function in the
Medieval period. The Year 8s responded to the task
eagerly, making use of the resources available to them
to create impressive castles - castles that were fit with
drawbridges, arrow slits and watchtowers to defend
against enemy attacks. The castles are a wonderful
display of the creativity and enthusiasm of the Year
8s. Their architectural talents would have been
well-received by Medieval Kings and Noblemen!
Miss Susan Kadib
MEDIEVAL DAY
The purpose of the Medieval Fair on November 20 was
to allow Year 8 students to showcase what they have
learnt in class, in a real-world, authentic situation, and
also to showcase what we can do to come together as a
school from Years 6 to 12.
The students had the opportunity to dress up in theme,
with the College hosting the likes of William Wallace
and Robin Hood. Braving the 42° heat, students tried
Archery, Skittles (bowling), Ring Toss, Queek (pebble
toss), Chess, Juggling, Shield Design, Chalice Design,
Pop-up Castle Marking, Origami,
Calligraphy and Crown Design.
A buffet was set in the kitchens for students to share,
consisting of breads, roasted vegetables, salads, rice and
many desserts.
In showcasing the school coming together:
-The Year 7 Food Technology students created grape
and lettuce marzipan garnish for a roasted pig cake and
baked six loaves of damper.
-The Year 8 and Year 9 students each donated a plate of
food.
-The Year 9 Multi-media students took photographs of
the afternoon events.
-The Year 10 Commerce students braided hair, sold
cupcakes and made the most of a hot day with the sale
of snow cones and ice blocks. They made a profit of over
$200 which they will put towards a Hamper for a family
in need this Christmas.
Many students and staff assisted on the day to ensure
this was a truly wonderful event.
LANGUAGES OTHER THAN ENGLISH (LOTE)
MIRATH IN MIND
On the 8th of September 2015, our College participated
in the Mirath in Mind Gala day then the
Fashion show on the 10th of October. Students from
primary and secondary showcased their talents by
singing in Arabic and French for the famous
Lebanese singer Sabah, followed by the oriental dance
and the Dabke. It was a delightful day for everyone. Our
students won first, second and third place in different
strands and represented the school with high spirit and
great talent.
Mrs Gina Harb
CELEBRATING LANGUAGES
The teaching of languages is alive and well if the
College’s inaugural celebration of language event is
anything to go by! This very well attended gathering
of parents, staff and students witnessed first-hand the
positive and productive engagement of students K-12
in the study of language. From an eclectic array of
songs, plays, poetry and conversation, along with a
broad display of language based initiatives the
afternoon’s events exhibited a vibrant, fun-filled and
enthusiastic display of language learning at its best.
Mrs Enaam Darido
HARMONY DAY
On Friday March 20, Harmony Day was celebrated at the
College. The Year 11 students, together with Mrs Enaam
Darido from the secondary campus and Mrs Roula Fanos
from the primary campus, organised and ran the day. There
were a variety of activities with themes from particular
countries. The P&F kindly donated pizza, iceblocks and
drinks for lunch and the day ended with a sport tournament
across year groups.
Students were encouraged to wear an orange item of
clothing or national dress. It was a colourful day with
various nationalities represented through hats and clothing.
The students and staff had a wonderful day, experiencing
diversity of food and culture.
Our Year 11 students worked cooperatively with staff and
demonstrated leadership and organisational skills on the
day. We were proud of their efforts towards this wonderful
event. The spirit of harmony was alive and well.
CO-CURRICULAR DRAMA
This year’s Drama performance saw a twist to the story.
Mayhem and Madness took us backstage to show the
characters’ true personalities. We followed the story of the
frantic director and her tolerant assistant, the gossiping
make-up artists, the backstabbing understudy, the
temperamental chorus girls and the unassuming stagehand
who won our sympathy and support.
Our Drama students have become skilled in improvisation
and have excelled at keeping the show going when errors
occur. The experience has always been positive and has
encouraged numerous students to join this co-curricular
class.
HOMEWORK CLUB
This year saw the introduction of an initiative from
the Year 12 students. This Year group created a
homework club for primary students to receive
tutoring and assistance from senior students.
The first session on Thursday March 5th left these
students exhausted, as they were unprepared for
the overwhelming response to their offer. They
were understaffed and in demand. They brought in
all hands for the second session and finally found
a routine. The club was a wonderful initiative and
was appreciated by both students and parents of
the primary school.
ENRICHMENT
TOURNAMENT OF THE MINDS
In preparation for the TOM, students
attended a Thinking Skills/Drama
workshop. The workshop was held at
Haberfield Public School on 10th August
2015 from 10am – 2pm.
The workshop took the 2 teams through:
* Basic stagecraft skills
* Presentation skills and allowable
materials
* Team building and communication
* Creative thinking skills
* Characterisation
* Reading and approaching the Challenge
APPLE STORE
An excursion on 1st June 2015 to the Apple store, gave students the opportunity to work on iPad’s to Create their
Own Movie with iMovie. This topic was very engaging, hands on and allowed students to create a project that they
took home with them.
STATE LIBRARY
On 5th May 2015, Enrichment students visited the
State Library. In 2011 the State Library purchased an
incredible collection of natural history drawings, which
open up a new way of looking at the early days of
European settlement in Australia.
Students participated in a water colour painting
workshop using specialised watercolour materials. This
activity was linked to further study of the collection
in the Library, relating to the early days of the colony.
This activity built on students research techniques and
appealed to higher order thinking and creativity.
CAREERS
This year, students have been giving many opportunities to consider their future studies and career path.
Every opportunity to inform these young adults of the possibilities was seized and the students were
grateful for the information, often waiting in line at Ms Bird’s door to know more.
YEAR 12 CAREERS EXPO
UNSW ENGINEERING
Earlier this year, Ms Bird took a select group of year
11 and 12 students on an educational field trip to
UNSW for a day of interactive Engineering
workshops run by the University students
themselves.
Spanning from bio-medical to electrical, these
workshops were not only very beneficial to
helping us understand our future job prospects, but
it opened our eyes to the fact that there aren't just
doctors and lawyers in the world. We were truly
grateful to have had the opportunity to undertake
such an inspiring field day, and hope for more days
like that to come.
Holly Halteh, Year 11
YEAR 10 CAREERS DAY
In a role reversal, Year 10 girls travelled with Miss
Bird to VG Automotives: a motor spray painting and
panel-beating experience. At school, boys who did not
participate in a white card certificate, participated in a
cake decorating class with Mrs Yarad. The concept of
the day was to show students careers they might never
think of, due to gender perceptions.
Miss Bird has created many links for students to find
their dream career - no matter what those dreams
are. If you are unsure of what you want to do, don’t be
afraid to think outside the box.
YEAR 10 TRADE DAY
At a school in La Perouse, Year 10 students were given
the opportunity to experience the different courses
they could do if they were thinking about enroling
in TAFE. This opened up a broader understanding of
courses such as Tiling, Nursing, Make-up, Military
training and Chef courses. We heard amazing first
hand stories from soldiers who went to war or had
worked on a Navy base. Some students had the
privilage of a makeover at the beauty department while
others braided hair at the hair department or created
beautiful mosaics at the tiling department.
Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed our time at the event
and walked out of the session with a new
understanding of what awaits in TAFE.
Giselle Nohra, Year 10
YEAR 6 CAMP
We left school for Canberra bright and early on
the 3rd of September for our two day trip with Mrs
Roula, Miss Jessica, Mr Le and the bus driver, Phil.
The excitement of visiting various places, learning
new things and bonding with our peers was expressed
through the smiles on our faces and kept us awake
despite the early start. Upon arriving in Canberra, it
was all systems go. We visited: Regatta Point,
Parliament House, Black Mountain Tower, The
Australian Institute of Sport, Questacon, Old
Parliament House and The War Memorial. It was
great to see all the things we had been learning about
(such as the House of Representatives and the Senate)
as well as experience another side of Canberra besides
the politics (such as at Questacon). The trip also gave
us an opportunity to show off our vocal talents on the
bus trip back as we sang at the top of our lungs. We
were very impressed with the vocal abilities of our
teachers, including Mr Le who sang his own
rendition of 'Do you want to build a snowman?'
Overall, our trip to Canberra was a memorable
moment that we will never forget as it has made a
footprint in our lives.
Valerie Chidiac, Year 6
YEAR 9 CAMP
CAMP JOURNAL
DAY 1
At the Great Aussie Bushcamp in Kincumber South,
our first activity was rock climbing. Everyone had a go,
including myself despite a fear of heights and a 13 m
wall to tackle. Sarah Bazzi strapped up beside me and
we worked our way to the top together until half way
when Sarah steadily moved over to my grips and we got
stuck. She moved down so I could go up ahead of her
and once at the top, we just had to lean back and were
lowered down by our belay team below.
The next activity was archery, another first. I had six
attempts all up and only managed to hit the blue circle
once (incidentally, it was my only hit on the board. The
other arrows all went over or under). Georgia Nohra
and Jason Trad were surprising with some great hits but
Alan Najjar’s group were the ultimate winners and boy
did they make some noise to rub it in. Just a little
competitiveness was evident.
After dinner we sat around the campfire toasting
marshmallows before heading into the trees for the
Commando night challenge where Mr Cortez and I had
to hide glow sticks in the bush and guard them from the
students. The students worked in groups of three and
were given a token (a bottle cap) before heading into
the bush to find and capture the glow sticks. If we
spotted a student, we shined a torch on them, collected
their token and the whole group had to return to the
start for another token before trying again. It didn’t
take long for all groups to find the hideout but with Mr
Cortez and camp instructor Jack guarding one end and
myself guarding the other end of the hideout, the
students had little hope of winning. The students were
very noisy through the bush with their heavy feet, very
loud whispers and occasional flash of a torch to see
where they were going – an immediate indicator for
us as to where they were. Only one group fooled me –
Sania Saeed’s group snuck through the bush so quietly
that I did not have any idea they were close until they
dashed out of the undergrowth and stole a glow stick.
This activity was a lot of fun and very insightful.
Don-Pierre Nassif and Alan Najjar were probably the
most vocal in their defeat. Whenever they were caught
by Mr Cortez (who would let the students get within
inches of grabbing a glow stick before flashing the torch
on them and yelling ‘boo’) the boys would tramp loudly
back down the hill complaining about the unfairness of
the game. As the instructor said at the end of the
activity, the aim was for students to work together. It
didn’t matter which group collected the glow sticks,
only that they ultimately win against the teachers. By
working together, the multiple groups would distract us
and one would be able to get in.
Back at the camp site, the students had more toasted
marshmallows before supper which was a cup of hot
chocolate and biscuits. After that it was showers and
bed. Of course, that just meant lights out at ten-thirty
but torches on behind the closed cabin doors. We stayed
up for a while to monitor movement but there was also
an instructor patrolling from 10 pm – 6 am. It wasn’t
until midnight before the students settled enough to call
it a night. All up, day 1 was great.
DAY 2
We arrived at the Giant Swing which was a metal bar
that strapped three people to it and was pulled up to a
height of 17 m by all other students who ran with the
rope alongside the swing and down a hill. Of course, by
the time they descended the hill, the momentum was
lost and it was a case of tug of war to get the swing up
to the highest position. Once the swing was up, one of
the three people strapped to the bar, had to pull a chord
to detach the swing. This was done after our instructor
Rowan counted down from 3.
I was last on the Giant Swing with Sania Saeed on one
side and Madeline Albassit on the other side of me. It
was Sania’s second go so she was confident but
Madeline and I were not so good. I focussed on staring
at my hands resting on the bar in front of me while we
ascended because I knew my fear of heights would get
the best of me if I looked out. The girls asked me to
pull the chord and while I knew what that led to, again
I let my mind focus on the task at hand. But when we
dropped, the instant feeling of motionlessness where
your body is unsecure with nothing solid around you
and your stomach drops, caused me to close my eyes
and there could have been a whimper. Madeline was
very vocal beside me resorting to whimpering and
cursing as her coping method and I simply prayed.
Sania laughingly coaxed me to open my eyes as we
began to slow our swing and so I saw the last part of
the experience. I had promised the students I would try
everything once, but I regretted committing myself to
that one. I’m glad I had a go but, never again!
The process of all other students lifting up the swing
required them to run with the rope which worked as a
pulley system. As they moved into the tug-of-war to get
the swing to its ultimate height, they had to
negotiate a muddy hill where grip was compromised.
They relied on the countdown from the instructor so
that they could stay still and wait for the release of the
swing which would cause the rope to slacken. When
Georgia Nohra was up on the swing with two others,
she must have got too nervous and did not wait for the
countdown. She pulled the release while the students
(and teachers) on the ground were still tugging the
rope down the slope. When the swing released,
everyone on the slope fell forward and rolled or slid
down the hill including Mr Cortez. When Georgia
found out, she was so apologetic but it had been a very
funny sight to see, so there were no hard feelings. We
moved on to our second event of the day, canoeing,
which from the outset looked peaceful and harmless
but again, there were challenges and the need for
teamwork and communication. One activity out on the
water had us line all our canoes up side by side and play
a game called Fruit Salad. Each person in the canoe was
given a fruit title; the person in the bow was called a
banana, the person in the centre was a watermelon and
the person in the stern was a strawberry. The instructor
was in a canoe in front of us all and he would call a
fruit one at a time so that person would have to stand
up while all others kept the canoes balanced or he
would call fruit salad where everyone would have to
stand up together. No one could get the timing right for
fruit salad so there was never a time when every person
on the water was standing at once. I was grateful
because I thought we would surely all end up in the
water if we managed the fruit salad manouvre.
Unfortunately one canoe did lose its balance and Sandy
Moubarak, Trinh Cao and Sarah Bazzi ended up in the
cold murky water with a capsized canoe.
Now by this stage we were feeling sorry for Trinh. On
day 1 when we were harnessing for rock climbing, she
asked me to help her with her helmet and I accidently
pinched her skin when I did up the belt under her chin.
When she went on the Giant Swing, she was the most
distraught and terrified student up there and now she
had fallen in the pond. Despite this, she still had a smile
on her face and she figured she was wet anyway so stayed
in the water to help everyone else get out of their canoes
by balancing it as they got out.
We had time to change out of wet clothes before the next
activity called Leap of Faith. This required you to climb
up a 6-7 m pole, again attached to ropes with a belay
team on the ground keeping you safe by supporting your
ropes. Once at the top, you stepped out onto a narrow
ledge with no railings and a trapeze bar in front of you.
All you had to do was jump off the edge and catch the
trapeze bar. You would then swing a couple of times to
slow yourself then you would let go and your belay team
would lower you back down to the ground. Sounds
simple doesn’t it? Not if you’re afraid of heights. I willed
myself to climb the pole, even to step out and stand on
the edge of the ledge. The bar looked too far out although
that was just my mind manipulating the situation out of
fear and so I jumped, I caught the bar, I swung perhaps
too long, and then I let go. Many students found this one
too daunting to attempt and so stayed on the ground as
the belay team to support everyone else.
After afternoon tea, it was off to High Ropes which was a
series of wire and wooden steps and netting through the
tree tops. The only way down was a flying fox. Everyone
had a go at this but it was a struggle for Sandy
Moubarack and Hani Rahmi. They were both assisted
and coaxed along by Mr Cortez and myself. William
Nguyen didn’t quite get his footing on the slope at the
end of the flying fox so on his first attempt, he flew in
then rolled back out. We had to push him back in to
unhook his safety lines.
After dinner the students participated in a boys against
girls challenge night which was held indoors. This
involved random unusual activities like lying on your
back with your chin to your chest. A cup of water was
placed on your forehead and you were told to get into a
standing position without using your hands or
spilling the water. Sania was the first to figure that one
out. Another activity was to start on top of a table and
work your way over the side, underneath and back up
the other side to the top again without touching the floor.
Again Sania showed some agility as she figured that out
also.
The students were getting tired at this stage but the night
was not over. We went out to the camp fire where Jack
told us a scary story. He started telling us the camp was
previously owned by a different company but the cabins
we were sleeping in were the original cabins. I thought
the story was heading in a direction where the students
wouldn’t be able to go to sleep that night but he steered
away from the cabins and took the story into the bush.
He told us a student was lost in the bush after a
Commando Challenge which caused the closure of the
camp. The student was a primary student called Billy
who loved bouncing a basketball. Years later when the
camp reopened, another student went missing after the
Commando Challenge but this time, they found the
student in her cabin. When questioned she said she got
lost and was lead back to her cabin by a boy with a
basketball. Jack was in the process of telling us about
unusual sightings and occurrences when a primary
student from another campsite ran up the hill. This was
not part of the story but Mr Cortez who was sitting
beside me, mentioned the perfect timing. I said all he
needed was a basketball. Jack concluded his scary story
and then a basketball came bouncing down the hill into
our campfire hitting (would you believe) Trinh in the
head. She screamed, Alesa Estephan and
Pablo Avaria-Jimenez laughed and so Trinh picked up
the ball and threw it further down the hill. Pablo and
Alesa laughingly ran after it. Mr Cortez told a couple
more scary stories before students headed to their cabins.
At 10 pm I was going by the rooms to check that students
were packing up for the following day when I found
several students playing Uno in the last room. I sat down
to play a round with them and by the second round,
we had a large group of 9 sitting around, playing cards.
Everyone settled down by 10:30 pm with some already
fast asleep. Another great day.
DAY 3
After a clean-up of cabins and getting bags ready for
packing onto the bus, we sat around the campfire while
we waited for breakfast. Jack picked up two sticks and
began to place them in various positions on the ground.
With each position, he would say “that’s number 1” and
so on up to number 10. He had skipped three
numbers in the demonstration so when he placed the
sticks down and asked what that number was, we
assumed it was one of the three he had not
demonstrated. We were wrong. He was confusing us all
until Georgia Nohra figured it out. You weren’t meant
to look at the sticks, they were a distraction. You were
meant to look at Jack’s fingers when he asked what
number it was. Georgia was certainly alert and on-theball first thing in the morning.
Once fed, we moved off to our first activity of the day
– Fencing. Alan Najjar spent the most time fighting on
the floor while Alexandra Nguyen slept the whole time.
I got suited up for two duels. One with Jason Trad who
was easy to beat and the other with William Nguyen
who was too quick and intimidating in his little stature.
He won that duel easily. Trinh Cao was fun to watch
with a verbal accompaniment to every thrust of the
sword. It was very entertaining.
After morning tea, it was on to our last activity called
Power Fan. I noticed my hands were sweating just
listening to the instructions. This was a 15 m pole with
a platform at 13 m. You were harnessed to a
self-returning wire so there was no belay team for this
one. The climb for me was terrible. Trinh and I went up
either side at the same time as there were two
platforms. She powered ahead of me while I worked
steadily talking myself into each step. It is a difficult
task, when you are afraid of heights, to freely put
yourself into a position that highlights your fears. By
this stage I was very much regretting my promise to
the students that I would do every activity with them. I
could hear the students’ encouragement below me but
by halfway, I was talking to myself; “Just put one
foot in front of the other. You can do this. Don’t think,
just climb”. Once on the platform, all you had to do
was walk off the edge. The wire attached to you would
adjust to your weight, then slow you down as you
dropped. I thought I could will myself into ignoring the
height and concentrate instead on things I liked such
as the lovely view of Brisbane River in the distance,
but my fear was trying to take over. I knew I would get
worse the longer I took to step off the edge so without
too much pause, I jumped off the edge and heard
myself scream at the fall before landing embarassingly
on my butt in the sand at the bottom.
This camp has tested our fears and our determination
to overcome or at least work through them. Students
always called encouragement to each other when one of
us got stuck and was afraid to keep going. Some
students showed strength we hadn’t previously seen
such as Trinh. Some came out of their shell verbally if
not physically such as Irene Psaradellis. Some students
may look back on this and regret not giving everything
a go but many of us, including myself, can be proud
of trying everything at least once. Of course, we will
be back next year so those who were reluctant to give
something a go, may just build up some courage then.
After lunch it was back on the bus for the 2 hour drive
home. We got to school by 2:35 pm and some of the
students wandered into the high school while they
waited for the end of the day. I found Don and Alan in
the Quad and saw Alan duck when a bird swooped too
low. I pulled him aside and said “Alan, you just tackled
the scariest activities on camp and you’re afraid of a
bird?” I think in future these students will learn to look
at fear differently.
I am glad we all had this opportunity to bond, to get to
know each other better and to challenge ourselves. We
created some truly wonderful memories.
Mrs Cathy Yarad
YEAR 11-12 CAMP
2015 provided Year 11 and 12 students with many
exciting opportunities. The most exciting and
memorable of these was definitely our Retreat to Berry.
For many, it was our first journey away from St Maroun’s
College, and away from home for that matter.
Our first day involved building our tents, walking a few
kilometres and undertaking a few induction activities.
Then the real fun began! Water biscuiting involved
students riding a raft downstream whilst trying to
maintain some sort of balance. We all ended up in the
freezing water! A lovely bushhike was followed up by
dinner. This led to our night time walk, with the definite
highlight being Mr Sassine and Vivian Le both tripping
over their own feet and landing in the mud.
Day 2! We woke up to the sound of the cows after the
night’s temperature dropped to 1 degree! Resilience
based activities including team bonding, working
together and physical challenges filled the day, followed
by a surprise visit by our Principal, Sr Josephine and
Monsignor Marcelino who led the spiritual aspect of our
retreat, allowing us to think of our purpose and
direction.
After another intensive day, the camp fire was the place
to be as Year 11s and 12s came together for a night of
jokes, songs and stories which went into the very early
hours. This amazing experience allowed us to create
strong bonds with our fellow students,
develop our resilience and spirituality as well as provide
memories we will treasure forever. Thank you to Mrs
Gakas and Mr Sassine for an amazing experience and
we look forward to our next adventure in 2016.
Daniela Rodrigues, Year 11
OUR COLLEGE LIBRARY
Our College Library is a resource centre for students
from Kindy to Year 12 and their teachers. It is a
friendly, stimulating place that students enjoy visiting
– during class time, before school and at lunchtime.
This large open plan facility provides separate learning
spaces for primary and secondary students. It houses
extensive book collections, student computers, audio
visual and other teaching resources, as well as printing
facilities for our secondary students.
Centrally located under our College Hall, the Library
is a hive of activity. During class time, primary and
secondary classes visit with their teachers, while Year
12 students visit independently for private study.
BOOKWEEK MUSICAL
BOOKWEEK PARADE
At lunchtime, you’ll find students researching online,
relaxing with a good book or playing chess and cards.
Jigsaw puzzles, drawing materials and origami squares
are also available for students to enjoy.
Our students and staff now have access to thousands
of ebooks through our library website. Connect from
any computer to our library website, using the direct
link on our new SMC Homepage. Alternatively, you
can click the Library link on the College website,
where you will also find full details about how to
explore the wonderful world of digital reading.
Mrs Margie Tubbs
TECHNOLOGY: MULTIMEDIA
This term in IST, Mr Zupan gave us a chance to use
our skills to make short clips that could be used as
introductions to our videos on YouTube. We all got to
explore different programs to help us turn our ideas
into reality. Different students had different ideas and
different skills and also preferred different programs.
interesting to us and matched our skills. Students who
were not even interested in the subject enjoyed this
topic. Occasionally we used the cameras to film
ourselves so that we can edit in the programs. The
practical part of IST is where most of the fun is.
Overall, this term in IST was definitely the most fun
and the most educational, because we had the chance
For example, half of us used After Effects and the other to work at our own pace and challenge ourselves to an
half used Pivot Animator; some of us even used Flash, extent.
Adobe Animate and iStop Motion. We had the
opportunity to choose the programs that were
Elissa Srour, Year 9
Top: William Jiang,
After Effects Animation
Middle: John-Tuan
Dritsakis, After Effects
Animation
Bottom: Elissa Srour,
Logo for a YouTube
channel using Stop
Motion Animation.
FOOD TECHNOLOGY AND TEXTILES & DESIGN
In practical subjects, there is no better way to learn than
to jump straight in a give it a go so the skill is not lost.
In Textiles, that is just what the Year 8 students did
when in the first week, they went straight to the sewing
machines to make pencil cases. While broken needles
were initially a recurring theme, the students were then
able to tackle the task of beach bags with more
confidence.
There were some very creative attempts and I was
impressed with their imagination. As I tell the students,
if you can imagine it, we will find a way to create it.
With a sun safe theme, this year the Year 7 Textiles class
created hats - most from a flat piece of material.
In Food Technolgy, Year 7 made nutritional breakfast
foods while Year 8 had greater flexibility in their meal.
Mrs Cathy Yarad
EXCHANGE STUDENTS
Our College has had the opportunity to host numerous
study groups from China and Korea in January and
August this year. Primary and secondary students from
these countries have immersed themselves in a range
of classes and extra-curricular activities with their St
Maroun’s buddies, in order to gain an authentic
experience of education in Australia. It has been a
wonderful experience for our students also, in the
development of friendship and intercultural exchange
of understanding. We look forward to hosting other
study groups in the coming year.
Mr Quang Le
FAREWELL YEAR 12
Left: Louise Abihanna
received the Australian
Defence Force
Citizenship Award.
Right: Theresa Doueihi
received the
Archbishop’s Award for
Student Excellence.
Farewell Louise Abihanna, Yasmine Ali, Manuel Azevedo, Danielle Baqui, Gabriel Baqui, Charbel Chedrawi,
Hong Quyen Dao, Tony Dinh, Theresa Doueihi, Jessica El-Khoury, Banda Farah, Jasmy Gunatilaka,
Christine Habib, Fernard Heriyanto, Libbi Le, Kelly Leung, Ria Liem, Thuy Thanh Thi Nguyen, Jennifer
Nohra, Veronica Paulus, Joseph Rahme, Ali Sayegh, Anthony Semaan, Andrew Vu, Minh Trang Vu, Nathan
Yazbeck and Emma Youssef.
We wish you all the best in your future careers and your adult lives.
May you always remember to value your faith, as this will guide the decisions you make and enhance the
person you are.
May you always value your friendships, as they will provide you with happiness and support throughout all
your years.
May you always value honesty, as this will endear you to others and make you trustworthy.
Good luck to you all.
St Maroun’s College
BE ALL THAT YOU CAN BE